Manton Avenue

Just took off

Got on a bus

Decided to be rich

Somewhere

Somewhere

That’s not here

Piece of work

And I’ve been saying it

I’ve been saying it

For years

Selfish

That’s what it is

You think I don’t want to

Get out of here?

I’ve been trying

To get out of here

Since I was a kid

Not that easy

Not easy

Not

No, not at all

Let me tell you

Cause you got people

We all got people

People who

People who are expecting us

To hold it together for them

You think he didn’t have people?

He just didn’t care

He just took off

Said things are crazy here

Things are crazy everywhere

And let me tell you something else

There’s no jobs anywhere

Nowhere good

Are there jobs in Alabama?
Maybe

You want to live in Alabama?
I fuckin’ don’t

Nobody does

That’s why there are jobs there

Place can’t be too bad here, right?
Otherwise we’d have all these open jobs

Lots of empty houses

For people to move into

It’d be a ghost town, right?

Keep saying

People are leaving

And I know people are leaving

I see ‘em leaving

But there’s still people

Everywhere you look

Just strangers is all

And that’s what bothers me

Used to be

I could go out

And walk down the street

And boom boom boom

This one you knew from school

This one’s cousin you knew

This one did your mother’s hair

All these people

You knew all your life

Just out walking around

Now it’s nothing like that

It’s strangers

Up the street

Down the street

And he’s taking off

Saying it’s crazy now

Hell yeah, it’s crazy

A woman rode by on a bike

And waved at me

Never seen her before

In my life

But maybe she’s having

A nice day

I don’t know

I waved back

Why wouldn’t I?

Nothing against her

She’s just a crazy lady

On a bike

Having a good day

Meanwhile I’m getting left behind

By the whole word

Far as I’m concerned

Nobody’s trying

To stay for me

Nobody gives a good

Goddamn about me

Now that’s the truth

When people care about you

They don’t take off

Just because things could be

A little bit better

In Alabama

Because they can buy more stuff

Live in a nicer place

Eat nicer food

If you care about somebody--

And I’m not talking about love

I’m not saying this

To be gay or anything

This is just me talking

I’ve had girls walk out on me too

Women

Everybody

Family

Everybody

You understand?

--And if you’re for somebody

You don’t do that to ‘em

If you’re really for ‘em

You know?

You know what that means?

A lot of people don’t

A lot of people think they do, but--

They don’t